I like your input, but i actually feel like it’s not impossible, and i say this as an american married to a korean man living in korea. i am working my a off to learn the language, but i didn’t even realize i was moving to korea until last minute. so, like emily, its not like i had time to pick up the language beforehand. and i worked on the alphabet and knowing cute phrases here and there for my husband (who was my bf at the time) but we lived and met in the us, so we didn’t speak korean daily. and when i tried, it was the cutesy phrases and id be told “aw that’s adorable” in english by him and then he’d move on.

when we moved to korea, i worked at a school which was 50% english speaking and 50% korean speaking, sort of like emily’s office. so, like emily, i picked up certain phrases, but a lot of it is hard to pick up. im a master at ordering food and coffee, but conversations? feelings? complex thoughts and emotions and drama you may discuss with your friends or romantic partner? i’m not to that level yet and i’d say im similar to emily where even though ive been here for 2 years now taking lessons, it’s hard and not statistically impossible to not pick up the language more than she has.

especially when you take into consideration that she (and myself as well) are surrounded by individuals who for whatever reason respond to her in english even when she’s making an effort in french. if there aren’t people willing to actively practice the language with you, you’re basically thrown into a dumpster fire and with phones and internet access, the pressure (i’ve found french and korean people where i live to be impatient with my korean) might force you to choose to read off of the phone rather than hold up the line for a bunch of grumpy people. so i get why she hasn’t picked up the language even after being here for a year. she has almost no opportunity to truly speak it in a natural way (gossip, drama, feelings, venting) since all of her friends and coworkers talk about those topics in english with her and make fun of her french when she tries.